Configuring Platform Agents on Windows

Every Platform Agent instance consists of a Windows Service that directly executes the network-processor.exe program. The service name will be Scheduler Platform Agent <instance> and the technical name will be jcs_<instance>.

The installer will create and start this service. Once the installer has finished you can manage this service using one of the following:

  • Microsoft Windows Service Manager: The services are named Scheduler Platform Agent <instance> 9_2_11_20230727_14. Access the Service Manager via Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. The string 9_2_8_20210421_14 may differ in your installation as it reflects the internal version number of the Platform Agent.
  • Platform Agent Service Manager: Also allows you to install and uninstall Platform Agents, as well as start, stop, and configure existing Platform Agents. You can find the Platform Agent Service Manager at [All] Programs > Redwood Platform Agent > Platform Agent Service Manager in the start menu.

The following languages are available in the Platform Agent Service Manager:

  • English
  • German

The Platform Agent Service Manager allows you to install, start, stop, configure and uninstall Platform Agents on the local system. When you start it, it lists the Platform Agents and displays the Status, Version, as well as the Port used by the Platform Agents.

Installation

For instructions on how to install a Windows Platform Agent, see Creating a Microsoft Windows Job Server (Advanced).

Configuration

The Platform Agent Service Manager (servicemanager.exe) lets you add, remove, stop, start and configure Platform Agent instances. You can run multiple instances on the same host, providing service to different servers. Multiple instances can share the same installation directory or be installed into different directories, but each instance must have a unique name. The Platform Agent Service Manager will show all instances on the machine.

It shows a list of installed instances of the Platform Agent, its status, the version, the port it is listening on, and the installation directory.

  • Start / Stop: Lets you start or stop a service.
  • Uninstall: Lets you delete the selected Platform Agent service.
  • Refresh: Refreshes the status of all services.
  • Install: Lets you install a new Platform Agent.
  • Exit: Quits the program. The Platform Agent services are not affected.

Each service has a context menu which allows you to configure the selected Platform Agent service.

  • Start / Stop: Lets you start or stop a service.
  • Configuration: Lets you configure the Platform Agent.
  • Choose language: Lets you switch between German and English.
  • Get support assist file: Generates an XML file which can be useful for troubleshooting issues.
  • Open local status report: Opens a web browser page that shows the Platform Agent status as reported by the Platform Agent.

The configuration dialog is accessed via the context menu of the instance and allows you to change the port, set the log level and log file as well as generate a new secret. If you change the port or secret you should also update the Job Server in RunMyJobs. You can set the following options in the configuration dialog:

  • Port: Lets you change the port used by the Platform Agent.
  • Log level: Lets you set the log level of the Platform Agent.
  • Logfile: Lets you specify a log file. Note that the Platform Agent Service Manager cannot validate log file directories which contain substitution parameters. This means that if the path does not exist, the Platform Agent Service Manager will not warn you.
  • Generate secret: Lets you generate a new secret for the Platform Agent.
  • Restart service: Lets you restart the service. The Platform Agent service will be restarted by default.

Please see Configuring Platform Agents for more information on the different options for log levels and log files.

Note that the Platform Agent Service Manager cannot validate log file directories which contain substitution parameters. This means that when the path does not exist the Platform Agent Service Manager will not warn you.

Compatibility with Windows Server 2012 and Higher

The Platform Agent Service Manager is compatible with Windows 8, 10, Windows Server 2012, 2016, and 2019, however, on some displays, the fonts will be fuzzy or blurry by default. Redwood recommends that you disable display scaling on high DPI settings when you experience fuzzy fonts. In Windows 8 and later, you navigate to <install_dir>\agent\bin, C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Redwood\\agent\\bin by default, choose Properties from the context menu of servicemanager.exe and, on the Compatibility tab, ensure Disable display scaling on high DPI settings is checked.

Procedure

To set an initial log level on the Platform Agent:

  1. Choose All Programs > Redwood Platform Agent > Platform Agent Service Manager in the Windows start menu.
  2. Choose Configuration from the context menu of the Platform Agent you would like to debug.
  3. Enter a log level into the Log Level field.
  4. Enter the full path of the output file into the Logfile field, make sure Restart service is checked, and click OK.

Result

The Platform Agent will be restarted and the initial log file will be filled with output corresponding to the log level.

Once the Platform Agent is configured successfully by the server it will log to a new logfile, and the logfile will be controlled by the Job Server parameter LogLevel (and no longer by the setting made above).

Example

Setting a log level of Warn on the opsys group of the network-processor and job-processor

  1. Choose All Programs > Redwood Platform Agent > Platform Agent Service Manager in the Windows start menu.
  2. Choose Configure from the context menu of the Platform Agent you would like to debug.
  3. Enter network-processor.opsys=Warn;job-processor.opsys=Warn into the Log Level field.
  4. Enter C:\\debug_${ProcessId}.log into the Logfile field, make sure Restart service is checked, and choose OK.

See Also